Lover's Chariot
by jamesster445
Summary: A short story about how Ann and Ryuji hooked up post-game. Things are going well enough until Ann gets an offer to go to prestigious college overseas. Completed for #ShippingTrash over on P5's Amiino page.


#ShippingTrash

2/14/20XY

Ryuji Sakamoto took his time walking to his destination. It was Valentines Day but he had the feeling that he was going to be alone by the end of the day. It was almost the opposite of what happened a year ago.

One-year prior Ryuji found himself alone on the worst day to be single. What's worse he was the only guy amongst his friends that was alone. All his friends including that dweeb Mishima had all found someone to spend the day with.

"Traitors" he sighed. "I swear there better not be any couples at the arcade or I'm going to start gagging."

But before he entered the arcade. He felt a tug on his sleeve. He saw a familiar face in Ann Takamaki, his friend since middle school, she was holding a box.

"There you are, Akira told me I could find you here." She said.

"Aw for real!? He doesn't have to keep tabs on me while he's getting all lovey-dovey." Ryuji pouted. "Anyway, what's up."

"Here, this is for you. I hope you like it." She said passing a box of chocolates.

"For real!?" his face lighting up as he grabbed the box. "Then again this is probably just some friendship chocolate, teammate chocolates? I'm sure the others got theirs. Still it's better than nothing."

"Yeah… of course." Ann said blushing.

"Wait a minute?"

"Yes?"

"Can Morgana even eat chocolate? Since he's a cat wouldn't it kill him."

"You're thinking about dogs."

"Maybe. I'll let him worry about that."

"In any case, thanks again Ann, I really do appreciate this."

"Of course."

"So you doing anything? I was gonna play a few rounds of Gun About. If you wouldn't mind playing a bit we can go hit up a buffet afterwards, my treat."

"Let's go then. I'm probably going to win, just so you know."

"If your shooting skills are anything like they are in the metaverse, I'm not worried"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All I'm saying is you can't just point a gun, hold the trigger and hope that you hit something."

"Yeah, cause you're a real sharpshooter right? How about this whoever gets a worse score pays for food."

"You're on."

Funny thing was, it took Ryuji several months to learn that he was the only one to receive a gift from Ann that day.

About a month after returning from a road trip with their friends to the rural countryside. Life resumed rather normally for these two, (As normal for two phantom thieves who used to steal hearts at least.) It was their senior year of high school, but not much really changed from before. At the end of their classes, Ann approached Ryuji one day before he headed out. She asked if he could accompany her to a modeling shoot. And while he initially refused, all she had to do was offer him a burger afterwards and he was hers. But in return, she agreed to run with him. After all running would help her keep the weight from all the crepes she eats. And as they began to spend time with the other, they began to understand the other's dedication to their crafts. Ann learned to respect Ryuji's ability to keep running despite the pain that it would often cause him. Ryuji in turn learned how Ann's plans of being a model had grown into becoming a fashion designer once she herself had grown too old to be a model.

One day while running, Ryuji's injury acted up worse than usual causing him to fall. He began to berate himself for his weakness and for causing his injury and begins to fall into despair. Ann berates him for quitting and admits that his never die attitude was one of the reasons why she loved him. And while she tried to reel back what she said, but failed horribly. To her surprise Ryuji, simply hugged her and told her that he feels the same way. They stayed there for a while until it became clear that Ryuji might've been enjoying his hug a little too much. They were unsure of how to move forward but they agreed to go through this together on one condition.

"We are not telling anyone about this." Ann requested. "Especially our friends. So please can you keep this a secret for the time being."

"Sure thing." Ryuji complied. "Hey, it'll almost be just like when we were the Phantom Thieves."

Suddenly Ann felt very unsure about even bothering keeping this a secret knowing Ryuji's habit of loudly blurting out secrets such as the fact they were the Phantom Thieves.

A month later, Ryuji did indeed spill the beans about him and Ann's relationship. She was a little surprised by the fact that he lasted a month. And while they did initially tease the two, they eventually showed their support. Of course, they avoided the topic entirely when it came to Morgana who often made his feeling for Ann very clear.

The two spent their senior year together rarely spending time way from each other, that would soon change. Sometime after New Years, Ann's family who worked overseas managed to get Ann enrolled at an Art College with a prestigious fashion program. While this would be a fantastic opportunity for her, Ryuji had reservations that he simply couldn't bring up with her. He knew he didn't want to hold her back from an opportunity to a great career. At the same time, he didn't want to see her go. And so, he began to avoid her for some time. He usually blamed his mom, anytime she reached out to him. Ann did figure out that it was all a lie. She chose not to call him out on it since she trusted that he's not avoiding her for anything nefarious. But come February, she invited him over to her apartment for Valentine's Day and stated that they'll talk there.

On the eve of Valentine's, Ryuji decided to turn to best man that he knew in the subject of love.

"Boss, I need to talk to you." Ryuji cried as he entered the café doors.

"Sure, sit. Soda ok?" said Sojiro Sakura.

"Yeah."

"Futaba, can you grab a soda please?" the barista told his waitress and daughter.

"Sure." Futaba replied.

"So, what's the problem?" The old man asked.

"As you know Ann and I are a couple." Ryuji began.

"Something that continues to baffle me, but go on." Futaba snarked while giving Ryuji his soda.

"Right... Anyway, she recently got accepted to a prestigious college for fashion design." Ryuji explained.

"That's great." Sojiro exclaimed.

"It's in America."

"I see." Sojiro sighed.

"Right. I want her to succeed in her dreams. But at the same time… I don't want to leave her."

"It's more like she's leaving you but ok." Futaba chimed.

"You're not helping." Ryuji shouted.

"Actually maybe she can. Futaba and Akira have been in a couple for at least a year now. Maybe she can tell you what it's like to be in a long-distance relationship." Sojiro advised.

"You're right. Ok Futaba what's it like being in a long-distance relationship?" Ryuji asked enthusiastically.

"It sucks." She said bluntly.

"Damnit that's not what I needed to effin hear right now."

"It's true though. We talk as much as we can, and we try to see each other as often as we can. But it never the same as when he's here."

"Futaba?"

"Last Christmas I went to his hometown and I got to see him with his family and they were so happy together. I knew then, why he had to go home, but I was never able to get over the fact that we were apart. But that's why I'm so glad he's coming back to Tokyo for college."

"Is Ann-chan going to stay with her parents?" Sojiro asked.

"I don't know. I never asked." Ryuji said glumly. "But even still, I've been reading a lot of news on American colleges and about what's going on there, and there's a lot of creeps over there."

"Oh, so you're jealous?" Futaba snarked.

"What!?"

"There are probably a lot boys there that are way more charming than you. I can see why you'd be threatened."

"That's not what I meant at all?" Ryuji cried never once considering that outcome but becoming very aware of the possibility. "Besides haven't you ever worried that Akira might be cheating on you?"

"Nope." She said confidently.

"And why's that?"

"I hacked his phone. I see everything and hear everything."

"What if he got another phone?"

Futaba was silent for about a minute.

"Sojiro, may I take the rest of the day off?"

"Go right ahead, I'm going to start closing up soon." Her father said.

Futaba immediately ran out the door and straight to her home. Both did not want to know what devious scheme she was up to next.

"I effed up didn't I?"

"They'll be fine." Sojiro sighed. "I'll make things simple. What do you want from Ann?"

"I want to be with her."

"And what do you want for her?"

"I… want her to be happy I guess."

"And do know what that would make her happy?"

"I don't really know."

"I suggest you find out what that is. If it lines up with what you want, then that's great. But if they don't then you're going to need to make a choice. I can't promise It will be easy, but I do trust that you'll make the right call."

"You've given me a lot to think about. Thanks Boss."

Ryuji decided to head home with food for thought. While Sojiro scratched his head realizing that the boy never payed for his soda.

And this brings us back to the present, Ryuji who now stands in front of Ann's apartment door. With a gulp, he knocks on the door. Ann opened the door and welcomed him in. The two sat on a living room couch. Both awkwardly trying to figure out how to address the elephant in the room. Before anything could be said though Ann hands Ryuji his chocolate.

"Please take these." She said shyly.

"Thanks." Ryuji said. He decided now was the time. "Ann about you going to America."

"What about it? I'm not going." She said bluntly.

"For real? Wait why? Wasn't this gonna be some big opportunity for you?"

"Maybe. There's nothing saying I can't get the same education here in Japan."

"Wouldn't you get to see other cultures or some bullshit like that?"

"I don't know about all that."

"Aren't you going to see your parents again?"

"I miss them but I can always see them another time. Besides they can always come here if they want to see me."

"Why, why would you turn this down?"

"Because I thought that's what you would've wanted."

Ryuji was speechless.

"When I told you that I got the offer, you avoided me for some time. I realized that you would never admit it but you didn't want me to go did you?"

It was at that moment that Ryuji understood exactly what Sojiro meant. And that's when he made his decision.

"You can't do that." He said.

"What? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"I do, believe me this is all I would have ever wanted. But would this make you happy. To deny you the chance at your dreams. To make Shiho proud. I want what's best for you even if it isn't what's best for me."

"Ryuji…" Ann started to tear up.

"I think what would make me happier is for you to be happy. Even if that means we can't be together anymore, even if we have to break up."

Ann looked up at Ryuji, her tears turning into anger.

"Excuse me."

"What?"

Ann stormed off and locked the door, to her apartment.

"What are you doing?"

"You stay right there." Ann said closing the blinds and curtains on her windows before disappearing in her room.

"You and I may be apart, but you and I are not breaking up not yet at least. We've been through way worse and there's no way a little distance would pull us apart. If that was the case I wouldn't have had this made."

"What are you talking abou…t" Ryuji turned to see her but was left with a hanging jaw.

Ann was wearing a red latex suit, complete with a tail and a mask resembling a cat.

"It's your Phantom Thief outfit. How? " he said completely flabbergasted.

"I made it."

"Why? I thought you hated that outfit."

"You told me you liked it." She said with red cheeks that almost matched her suit. "Now you listen to me I did NOT have this stupid thing replicated for you if I didn't take us seriously. Ok?"

Ryuji walked up to Ann and kissed her deeply.

"I love you." He said as he held her close.

"I love you too." she said "So we're going to be apart for a while."

"Right but that's not going to be an issue right?" he said unsure.

"Just don't let it."

As he pulled away he got another look at Ann's costume.

"Damn, I missed this." Ryuji said ogling Ann's figure. "By the way what's with the whip?"

"Oh this?" she said holding up the whip. "Well let's just say that no one know about this costume, and no one will know about this costume. And if you think about blabbing about it, well…" She cracks her whip, which sent a shiver down Ryuji's spine. "You're not going to like it the next time I wear this costume. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mam."

Ann giggled before pouncing on Ryuji and giving him another kiss.

The two spent a romantic evening. And while there was a lot of uncertainty in their future. But in that moment, they had each other and that was all that mattered.


End file.
